Rain got you down? If so, think spring at Pier 39 – can you say Tulipmania? And the Pacific Orchid Exposition is back and it will soothe your rain soaked soul. Entertaining and enlightening dance performances can always be found at ODC – a thought-provoking look at “how well do we serve each other” is worth a look. Part dance, acro, theatre, a Montreal troupe heads to Zellerbach. Looking for dinner and a show – check out North African supper club, Berber. Hope you are staying dry and toasty friends!

Now – Feb. 18. Tulipmania at Pier 39

Grab your wellies and rain gear and head to Pier 39 before the 39,000 blissful blooms go away. Enjoy the flowers’ beauty and learn helpful gardening tips. Guided tours depart at 10 a.m. daily from the Crab Statue in the entrance plaza and end with a special treat from Trish’s mini donuts.

Self-guided tours can also be taken at any time. IF the weather permits the flowers may last a week or two longer, but why take a chance. You can even gather a group of pals (10 or more) for a private tour – garden clubs anyone? www.pier39.com

Feb. 21-4. Orchid Expo

Perhaps you are a Tomato who visits the Orchid Expo yearly, or you may be a newbie. However, this year they celebrate 67 years of displaying this exotic plant. “Orchids of the Enchanted Forest”, this year’s theme, brings a new and exciting vision to the mystical world of orchids. More than 150,000 gorgeous, unusual and rare orchids will be on display and for sale at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park from February 21 – 24.

If you regularly purchase your blooms at Trader Joes (me) you are in for a treat for your senses. Orchids from the SF bay area as well as those who grow the beauties internationally will answer all of your orchid related questions. Like how do I keep them from dying!  Gala preview night is the 21^st from 6 – 9 where you can enjoy an evening without the crowds. $75 per person. General Admission is $15. You probably won’t leave empty handed, so be prepared! http://www.orchidsanfrancisco.org

Feb. 21-22. ODC Theater Presents At Your Service

How do we serve? How are we served? Who serves whom, and where do the lines blur? Asking these questions led Risa Jaroslow & Dancers, to create At Your Service. In this unusual dance performance, they look at ways in which we serve each other (or fail to do so) personally and professionally, with a focus on the underappreciated among us – think teachers, nurses, firefighters, caregivers, and restaurant wait staff.

At Your Service is dance, music, songs and stories that delight, edify, sometimes disturb, and ultimately help us see many of our fellow humans in a new light. In addition to professional dancers there are real life humans participating including a nurse midwife, a math teacher and more. Tickets are $30. February 21 – 22 https://odc.dance/service

Feb. 22-24. Reversible at Zellerbach Hall

Dance, acrobatics, circus feats, and interchanging sets – this is really something special to see. Montreal’s award-winning contemporary circus troupe presents its latest creation, a playful and poignant exploration of the role ancestors play in the shaping of modern identities. For Reversible, each of the company’s cast members researched generations of family history, interviewing grandparents and great-grandparents about their aspirations, struggles, and secrets.

Through astonishing acrobatics, aerial stunts, and dynamic dance movement, the artists build an intergenerational bridge between past and present, then and now. Fascinating and entertaining. Feb 22 – 24 Zellerbach Hall . Calperformances.org

Berber Supper Club

It’s time for some good old-fashioned dinner and a show – together in one location that is. Freshly opened near the corner of Polk and Broadway, Berber Restaurant & Lounge seeks to satisfy the yen for dinner and a show with multi-course Moroccan feasts accompanied by performances from belly dancers, aerialists, and acrobats. From the moment you enter, the mystical ambiance with glowing baskets, and lanterns, colored walls and a seductive bar greet you. And then there is the enormous painting of a camel that lets you know you are “in” Morocco. This is a trendy African-Arabian restaurant and you just feel cool entering the space. A cave-like wall surrounds family style round table booths. Weeknights are great for sharing a few delicious shared plates.

But, those in the know will have made reservations for the Saturday-night-only show, accompanied by a prix-fixe menu in the dining and performance hall. Enjoy Moroccan-inspired cocktails and a mash-up of Mediterranean and North African style dishes. You never know what will come next with the food or the performers. You can expect an ever-changing array of entertainers and about four acts and five food courses will delight each night. 1516 Broadway http://www.berbersf.com